Reading, 'Riting and rBGH  

How Monsanto Bullies and Threatens

Carol Baxter / Delicious Sep97

On February 1, 1994, Monsanto began marketing Posilac, or recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), a drug injection to make cows produce 10 to 20 percent more milk. Since then, growing numbers of people have demanded that milk products from rBGH-injected cows be labeled as such. Shoppers regularly seek out and purchase rBGH-free milk.

Many scientists, physicians and health organizations believe that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should revoke approval of Posilac because major issues regarding the health risks of ingesting milk containing rBGH have yet to be resolved. For this reason, the 15 European Union's member countries have banned rBGH until the year 2000, and Canada has forgone its approval of the hormone. But why all the concern -- and what about the milk served to children in school?

The milk of rBGH-treated cows contains increased levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Bovine and human IGF-1 are molecularly identical, and increased levels of human IGF-1 have been linked to breast and colon cancer in humans. A study in the Journal of Endocrinology (August 1995) reveals that these increased levels of IGF-1 in cows' milk are not broken down through pasteurization or digestion, as those who support rBGH contend, but are instead absorbed into the human bloodstream.

Cows injected with rBGH are at risk for increased mastitis (udder infection), which is treated with antibiotics. Not only do cows suffer from infections, swollen udders, weight loss and fatigue as a result of overproduction of milk, but antibiotic residues in milk find their way into the bodies of those who drink it.

Children are the largest consumers of milk, cheese and other dairy products, yet there's never been a long-term study of the effects on children of drinking milk from rBGH-treated cows. Children's health advocates across the country have been petitioning the government to label dairy products made from rBGH-treated cows and asking school systems to purchase only rBGH-free milk for school cafeterias.

Numerous Parent and Teacher Associations (PTAs) have passed rBGH-free resolutions, and more than 100 school systems across the country buy only rBGH-free milk. "The most important thing was that we always got a member of the school board to back us," says parent Victoria Claman, of Litchfield, Conn. John Kinsman, a dairy farmer in Weston, Wis., did the same thing. "I simply talked to parents of small children. Once mothers heard about this, they didn't rest until their school made the commitment," he says. Because of the efforts of those like Claman and Kinsman, more than 35 districts in both Wisconsin and Connecticut are now rBGH-free.

Lobbying for rBGH-Free Milk
For three years, Monsanto has been relentless in protecting its $300 million-plus investment in Posilac (as well as its projected annual income of at least $300 million in sales). The company has sued farmers and vendors who stated that their milk came from rBGH-free herds, and it successfully overturned the state of Vermont's mandatory rBGH-labeling law. Monsanto has lobbied aggressively in Washington against mandatory rBGH labeling and allegedly tried to bribe the Canadian government into approving Posilac. Monsanto has also been hovering watchfully over some of our largest city school districts.

In 1994, Kat Cummings, a teacher in Chicago, petitioned the Chicago Board of Education. "At one point, the board agreed to make the rBGH-free commitment," she says. Milk vendors were notified of the pending rBGH-free policy. "Monsanto came knocking on my door with their top lawyers," said McNair Grant Jr., director of the purchasing department for the Chicago Board of Education. After this meeting, the final decision was that the schools would not adopt an rBGH-free policy.

Despite similar appearances by Monsanto, Los Angeles was one of the first cities to adopt an rBGH-free purchasing policy. In New York City, the NYC Safe Milk Coalition, which consists of parents, politicians, scientists and health professionals, has had an ongoing dialogue with Kevin Gill, executive director of the Office of School Food and Nutrition Services. Monsanto has also met with Gill.

"Plenty of rBGH-free milk is available for the New York City schools," states Pauletta Brooks, a parent and leader in this fight. The NYC Safe Milk Coalition will continue to press for rBGH-free milk, as should parents across the nation, she says.

3 Steps to an rBGH-Free School
Find out what kind of milk your school serves. Call your school district's purchasing director and ask if he or she procures rBGH-free milk. Don't be surprised if this person doesn't know what you're talking about. If the district staffers don't know, request the names of the vendors they purchase from (this is public information).

Verify the milk company's official position on rBGH. Call the milk company and ask for their policy in writing. Look for statements that are direct such as "We require that suppliers and farmers sign affidavits stating that they don't use rBGH." Be wary of statements such as "We don't wish to use rBGH but the FDA deems it safe for human consumption."

Organize for an rBGH-free policy. Gather the facts and educate yourself and other parents, teachers and school board members on rBGH. Find a partner who shares your concern and determination, and set up a coalition of local people such as PTA members, politicians, health professionals, consumer groups, farmers and veterinarians who would be willing to meet with your school board. Most importantly, enlist the support of a school board member who will support you and this issue during meetings

source: http://www.healthwell.com/delicious-online/d_backs/Sep_97/gl.cfm